This is the first time I'll be DMing a game here on Myth-weavers - assuming this gets started and goes through. This is not, however, my first time DMing, nor my first time DMing a PbP campaign.

The First thing I'll lay out is my expectations. You don't have to be experienced with D&D to get in (though you do have to know how to play, of course), but you do have to be a serious roleplayer, and capable of playing along with a detailed plot - though one that still gives plenty of freedom to the characters. This is not a light-hearted campaign, and while there will probably be humorous moments, this isn't going to be about the humor. I also expect people who won't flake out or leave quickly, and who are willing to stick with this. And willing to come to me with problems or concerns they have with my DMing, or if they think I'm mistreating them, or what have you. I want this to be a functional campaign that makes as many people happy and want to continue playing.

You start at 1st level, have 500 starting gold, and can be of any class or race found in any official D&D 3.5e WotC sourcebook, even setting specific ones (unless they're so specifically built for their setting that they'd be impossible to translate to another setting.) If you want to use homebrew or non WotC (but still 3e/3.5) content, you'll need to run it by me first. Odds are I'll probably say no, but I might, if I think its balanced and not too off the wall.

The Desereth Northlands north of the wealthy city of Eaglecrest are filled with ancient ruins dating back to the nearly-mythical city of Desereth, and its tremendous magical might, as well as seemingly endless numbers of goblinoids, and a small number of fortified settlements, populated by independent-minded and hardy settlers unwilling to buckle under any pressure.

The characters are hired by a dwarven merchant, Rucdorn Alcred Axecavern, to supplement his usual caravan guards as he travels up to the settlement of Brindenford to deliver a shipment of high-quality weapons to the local lord there. The local goblinoid 'coalition' the so called 'Red Spear Horde' , which the Lord of Brindenford has plans to push back, is more restless than usual, necessitating the additional personnel. Once they reach Brindenford, however, the local lord hires them to use a secret entrance to attack a hobgoblin tribe residing in the ruins of an ancient outpost belonging to Desereth. Ruins that have secrets of their own....

This is a overview, rather than a complete digest. Rather than overload you with details in the ad, I'll have more available as people apply, in the other sections of the game forum. And as a put my notes into a readable form.

The City of Eaglecrest is in the Kingdom of Halrun, in the west of the Continent of Pangar. A large and mostly unsettled Kingdom, Halrun has only been an organized state for just 83 years, currently under its fifth monarch, and first Queen. Founded by the Halrun Dynasty after 11 years of war and diplomacy, the first two kings of the Halrun Dynasty were wise and capable, but the third, Syrokis, was a brutal tyrant who made the mistake of upsetting the people of Eaglecrest on top pf his many other sins, then killing their delegation when they tried to address their grievances. A rebellion later, and Rykall Morn came to the throne after killing Syrokis.

The War of the Orbs was initially a series of seemingly unconnected crises that turned out to be coordinated by a powerful warlord from the east named Jerlin, who sought to use these various groups – goblinoids, orcs, dissident necromancers, the bandit clans, Brunn, the lost son of Syrokis, Irino the mad Pyromancer, the demon-worshipers of Restid, and more – to distract the forces of good while he sought the 8 elemental Orbs – Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Energy, Darkness, Light, Ice – and with them, power unimagined. He was finally defeated 18 years ago at the Battle of Thorncreek. In the succeeding years, peace has been the norm, and a few years ago, Rykall's eldest child, Princess Sophia Morn, has become the Queen.

Halrun is bordered to the east by and allied with the Kingdom of Zedarsh, ruled by a weak dynasty of kings controlled by a consortium of mercantile, commercial and guild interests. To the southeast is the aggressive and militant Kingdom of Morvak, which worked with Jerlin and still chomps at the bit to take territory from Halrun. The southern border is made up by the Lortmil Mountains, inhabited primarily by dwarven clans aligned with Halrun. Across the Lortmils is the Kingdom of Osorien and the Sunscorch Sea, an ancient land known for its monuments and strange religion. To the southwest are the mineral-rich Exarchel Mountains and the 'Riverlands', notable for two particular cities amongst others: Rokrin, homeland of the endlessly inventive Gnomes, though Gnomes can and do live many, many other places these days; and Restid a city of and ruled by demon-worshipers. The western coast is vulnerable to Pirates from the so-called 'Pirate Isles', while Ashvale Forest to the northwest is home to the bandit clans. The Northlands are filled with Goblinoids, and the northeast has the iron-wealthy Tarkos Hills.

The Eastern Border also has the Kingdom of the Necromancers, a remnant of the 'slightly less ancient than Desereth' Necrotic Empire. Occupying Darkmoon Forest and The Deathwood, and only those two connected forests, the Kingdom is ruled by a caste of necromancer-nobility, who raise the bodies of their dead citizens once they die as they might otherwise, to preserve their future stock of corpses. The reigning Archnecromancer, a former elf turned Lich named Lyrus Serriados, has maintained a peace with all neighbors for his 337-year reign, preferring to play subtle games of influence and maneuver across the globe.

Inside Halrun, but completely independent is the Citadel of the Knights of the Golden Throne, an order of Paladins and Clerics dedicated to the demigod Adun, who is defined by his hatred of undead, and the Kingdom of the Necromancers in particular. Still, a loose truce as been maintained in recent decades – barring the actions of renegade nobles during the War of the Orbs, whom Lyrus helped to put down with extreme prejudice - between the Knights and the Necromancers, albeit with frequent skirmishes that both sides try to ignore.

Beyond this area, there is a great and diverse world, from the Tlacten people of the far eastern Jungles, who sacrifice sentient beings on a regular basis and worship strange, alien gods, and the Kingdoms and Realms of the Occident to the west, dominated by the so called 'Heavenly Kingdom of Xin-Wa', home to strange societies, philosophies and cultural norms.

I'm more interested in characters that I am in stats. So don't try too hard to make sure the party has a balanced class set up, and I want interesting characters and good roleplayers. You can apply in the Applications Forum, though make sure to roll your stats in the ability score rolls thread.

Game Description:

The City of Eaglecrest, on the northern frontier of the mighty Kingdom of Halrun, is a center of economic activity for the region. And it has been the center of a surprising amount of history. Twenty-one years ago, the War of the Orbs, fought over the incredibly powerful Elemental Orbs - eight artifacts of immense power - consumed Halrun, and Eaglecrest served as one of the main centers of the war, its famed militia fighting the Bandits Clans of Ashvale and adventurers based there taking down the Cult of the Crimson Flame in the Tarkos Hills - a cult of fire mages following the Mad Pyromancer Irino.

It has been 18 years since the end of the War of the Orbs, and things have settled, but Eaglecrest, sitting on the frontier as it does, and with the untamed lands north of it crawling with goblinoids and filled with ruins - some more than 1,000 years old - still hums with adventurer activity.

But there are rumors stirring across the kingdom. Creatures of fire are being spotted in the Tarkos Hills, the goblinoids are beginning to unite, the orcs to the south are growing bolder - everywhere evil seems to be on the rise. But as of yet, the new face of the threat has yet to be seen...

As these threats and more loom over the land, anew war begins...in Eaglecrest.

The Eaglecrest Chronicles are a long-term campaign in a setting of my own design. The character start at level 1, but progress up through the levels as they start with small, seemingly unconnected missions in and around Eaglecrest and begin to piece together a terrible plot a thousand years in the making.

Depending on the retention rate from adventure to adventure, new players may be brought in if needed between adventures, though hopefully this won't be needed.

I have a Swashbuckler that I have wanted to play pretty badly. I think his character would be right at home in this setting. I am very interested. I don't have any PbP experience yet but I am a quick learner and would love to get involved.

@Gavin: Can you link me? So its basically switching out the Warmage spell list for a divine spell list or what? I'm not clear on how it gives 'access'. I just want to make sure there are no OP classes.

@Burnheart: Sounds good.

@Prophetic Joe: Sounds great. PbP not that hard, feel free to ask me if you have any questions.